Laughter rang out, echoing on the tiled stone walls.
Jacen watched as Sieren backed up against one of the damp stone walls, grinning widely.
"Nei!" she shook her head, still grinning. "Tenire saelna!"
Han grinned back. "Don't you 'nay tayneer sale nah' me!" he glared playfully, smacking the water around him. "Get in!"
Sieren only shook her head again, laughing gleefully as her grandfather moved to stalk up the submerged steps after her.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
Jacen tore his eyes off his father and daughter and looked up to see his mother smiling down at him.
"What is?" he asked.
Leia sank slowly to the tiled edge of the pool, dipping her bare feet into the warm water. She sighed with a smile, nodding toward Han and Sieren. "The way he can blast through any situation with that stupid grin."
Jacen had to chuckle, watching as his father dangled Sieren over the water by her ankles. "So that's what it is."
Leia smiled again, silent for a moment. "Where's Keil?" she finally asked.
Jacen was grinning at Sieren's intermittent screaming laughter as Han dipped her dangerously close to the water. "He was getting cranky," Jacen explained, "so I took him back to my apartment. Tahiri offered to stay with him."
"That was sweet of her." Leia smiled.
"No. not really." Jacen replied blandly. "She's currently either ransacking my holodrama collection, or eating me out of house, home, and planet." He grinned. "Probably both."
Sieren screamed loudly, causing mother and son to look up just in time to see Han let go of her feet.
Both laughed when the little girl returned to the surface, sputtering and yelling indignantly in Bachi. It took only a few moments of pouting, though, before Han leaned down close enough for her to jerk him in.
"Well, if they aren't two of a kind." Leia shook her head in wonder.
Jacen was incapable of answering.
"One could never begin to think, Jacen Solo, that perhaps you were in any way passed over when Yejion handed out the gift of humor."
Leia looked up at the dry voice to see Tenel Ka walking toward them.
Jacen was still laughing.
"No." Leia shook her head in agreement, "I'm not entirely sure he's genetically capable of being serious."
Tenel Ka sat down on the opposite side of Jacen, nudging him as she did.
"Hey," Jacen protested, "quit shooting a helpless man while he's down."
"If you are helpless, it is of your own doing." Tenel Ka declared.
"I refuse to comment on the grounds of self-incrimination." Jacen muttered.
"Oh, here comes Jaina." Leia murmured, her gaze on the door.
Jacen glanced up with a smile for his sister. "Hey, Jaina."
Jaina smiled. "Hi, Jace." She plopped down on the ground beside her mother and proceeded to jerk off her boots and throw them over her shoulder.
"Oh." She sighed happily, trailing her feet in the water. "Perfect ending to a perfectly rotten day."
"Indeed." Tenel Ka nodded shortly." It is warm in here."
"it's even warmer in the water." Jacen grinned.
Tenel Ka narrowed her eyes. "Do not."
"Jati!" Sieren called from the other end of the pool. "Watch!"
Jacen turned his head with a smile, watching her balance on his father's shoulders.
"Deiía!" he applauded, more for her glowing smile than the actual trick.
"Hey, Si," Jaina called slyly, "I'll give you a credit if you can do a double flip off."
Jacen nearly got whiplash turning his head to look at his sister. "Jaina, what in all the galaxy— Do you want her to get killed?!" his gaze flew back to his daughter. "Sieren Yarí Solo, don't you even—"
Sieren was still balancing on her grandfather's shoulders, looking back and forth between her father, who was adamantly shaking his head no, and her aunt, who was nodding encouragingly.
It could've been a debate to rival those of the Galactic Senate.
Sieren finally just grinned and jumped off Han's shoulders, flipping two and a half times through the air before smacking the water so loudly, even Tenel Ka winced noticeably.
She was still grinning, though, when she came to the surface and swam quickly to the side of the pool.
Jaina laughed out loud when the six-year-old stuck out her hand.
"How 'bout I give it to you when you're dry?" she suggested.
"Ok." Sieren grinned.
Jacen shook his head ruefully. "Si, if Aunt Jaina offers you a credit to jump off a cliff, please, don't do it, ok?"
Sieren just giggled and scolded him in Bachi for being so silly.
"There's Tahiri." Jaina nodded toward the door, where the barefoot blonde was coming in, carrying Keil in one arm, and a couple of dry towels in the other.
"Hey, buddy." Jacen took his one from Tahiri and kissed his cheek. He looked back to Tahiri. "Did he sleep at all?"
Tahiri nodded. "Out like a light 'til about ten minutes ago. I tried to get him to go back to sleep, but he just wanted to talk."
Jacen bounced the baby. "You feel better after your nap?"
Keil just giggled and blew bubbles at Jacen.
"I'm glad you're holding him, and not me." Tahiri remarked when Jacen got slobber all over him.
Jacen just grinned.
"Jati! Come in!"
Jacen looked towards the pool and saw Sieren beckoning.
"Oh, Si, I don't really..." he trailed off at the pitiful look on her face.
"Please?" she begged.
"You can not refuse her when she is hopeful enough to use the proper words." Tenel Ka told him, reaching up to take Keil from him. "Go. Play. We will be fine." She made a brief, futile attempt to smooth the baby's curly, downy hair.
Keil just grinned up at her before shoving a fist into his mouth.
"All right." Jacen sighed, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it onto a larger chair. "Look out below!"
Sieren screamed gleefully when Jacen jumped in, spraying everyone outside the pool.
"What are we playing?" Tahiri asked, climbing into the pool to join the growing group.
"Matzi." Jaina replied, referring to a blind water-ball tag. "Dad's rules: absolutely no force use allowed."
Tahiri pouted slightly, then grinned slyly. "And who's refereeing?"
"Mom." Jaina supplied, swimming to the side of the pool where the water balls were sitting.
"Any room for two more?"
Jaina, along with the rest of the room, looked up to see who was asking.
Her uncle grinned at them from the front end of the room, letting go of Ben's hand to avoid being summarily drug into the pool.
"Sure." Han waved at him. "The more the merrier, 'less Mara's gonna play."
"Not on your life, Solo." Mara replied dryly, taking a seat at the edge of the pool beside Leia. "I have no great desire to let a bunch of younglings throw water-logged whammies at me for sport."
"Who are you calling 'younglings'?" Jacen demanded, his hands going to his waist in a manner much like Mara's own frequently.
Mara smirked. "Only those of you who are under thirty."
"Well," Jaina quipped, "it's either under thirty, or over, what, sixty?"
"Young lady, that was an unforgivable insult." Han growled.
Jaina bowed apologetically. "You're right. It's disrespectful of me to detract ten years of you wisdom."
Luke lobbed on of the balls at her.
"Ok, ok!" Jaina laughed, ducking. "Who's tagman?"
All fingers pointed back at her.
"Fine." Jaina sighed, closing her eyes. "One, two, three, four..."
Jacen backed up into a corner of the pool, waiting for Jaina to quit counting.
"...seven, eight, nine, ten!"
Jacen froze, hoping his mother was paying close enough attention to be a good referee.
Jaina stood in the middle of the pool, still and silent, listening for any movement.
Jacen could see Tahiri standing in the opposite end of the pool, palming one of the water balls.
Jacen glanced around to see where everyone else was.
His father was halfway between him and Tahiri, pressed against the side of the pool, as if to make himself invisible. Luke was directly across from Han, shaking his head at Ben not to move.
Sieren was making faces at her aunt, taking advantage of one of the few moments when apprehension and retaliation were far off thoughts.
Jaina lunged then, causing Ben to stifle a squeal.
Jacen had to stop a laugh as his father carefully sidestepped out of Jaina's direct path.
Jaina had caught the movement, though, even without the Force.
Han scowled darkly when she changed directions to follow him.
Jaina must've known without looking the face that her father was wearing, because she was grinning.
"What, Dad? Don't like to be hunted?" she teased.
"No," Han replied, abandoning caution to move away more quickly, "and you're cheating!"
"Actually, she's not." Leia informed him, a note of laughter in her voice.
Tahiri saw Han's predicament, as Jaina was about to tag him, and tossed him the ball in her hands.
Han caught it and grinned at Jaina, almost hoping she would tag him now.
Jaina cocked her head as if thinking, her eyes still closed.
"Matzi." She called finally.
Han's jaw fell, wondering if his wife wasn't being partial in her officiating. He quickly threw the ball to Luke, ducking out of the way as Jaina jumped to tag him.
He was so busy trying to stay away from Jaina's blind poking, he never saw the ball arcing through the air toward him.
"Ow!" it hit him full in the face, knocking him back into the side of the pool.
Jaina grabbed the floating ball out of the water while the rest of the room laughed.
"Dang it," Han grumbled, rubbing the back of his head, "who threw that?"
"I did." Jacen was sheepish. "Sorry."
"So, mom, what's the ruling? Incomplete pass, or fumble?" Jaina was intermittingly wringing the water out of the ball in her hand, and submerging it.
"Incomplete pass." Leia said immediately.
"What?!" Jacen exclaimed. "It was completed! Dad just didn't catch it!"
Leia shrugged. "Ruling stands. Sorry, Jacen."
Sighing loudly, Jacen swapped places with Jaina, closed his eyes, and counted to ten.
He could feel Tahiri in his Vongsense, moving slowly. From the sense of security radiating off of her, he guessed she was holding a ball.
Which meant that just about anybody else wasn't.
He basically picked a side and started swimming.
"Aww, squill!" it was Jaina.
"The point is supposed to be stealth, Jaina." Mara's voice was wry.
"Stealth ain't worth didly-squat at the moment." Jaina called back, hopping away from her brother as fast as she could. "I'd like to propose a no-tag-back rule."
Her mother, aunt, and brother laughed. "Nope." It was Leia.
Jacen thought she had stopped moving, so he slowed. The pool room was suddenly quiet. Too quiet.
Jaina had to be only a few feet away, but usually the others tried to distract the hunt4er when he got too close, unless...
He whirled suddenly and caught the ball flying through the air towards him.
"huh-uh!" Jaina's disbelief was apparent in her voice. "No way could you've done that without cheating."
Jacen shook his head, smiling. "Sorry, sis, I wasn't."
Jaina was clearly skeptical. "Mom?"
"He was completely forceless." Leia shot a sympathetic look at Tahiri, who was slinking scowl-faced into the middle.
Jacen dodged her sloppy one-handed swing at him. "Now, now. We all know where vengeful spite leads."
Tahiri just make a face.
Jacen swam slowly to the edge of the pool where Tenel Ka and Keil were sitting.
"You look a little lonely over here." He teased, tweaking Keil's toes.
"We are just fine, thank you." Tenel Ka assured him calmly, her lips twisting into a sardonic smirk. "It is you that appears to be alone."
"I wouldn't be if you got in." he pointed out.
"No, you would not." Tenel Ka agreed. "Neither would you be if you rejoined the game."
"Well," Jacen shrugged, "I just don't feel like creaming anyone tonight."
"Jacen Solo," Tenel Ka shook her head in what could've been amazement, "your pride has grown exponentially."
Jacen grinned. "Maybe." His face became pleading. "Get in?"
"I believe we shall pass." She smoothed Keil's hair again, though it did little to detangle the mass of unruly curls.
Jacen shook his head, almost in resignation. "Can't have that." He reached out and took Keil.
"What are you doing?" Tenel Ka asked incredulously.
Jacen climbed out of the pool, handed Keil to his mother, and continued walking toward Tenel Ka. "Taking away your shield."
The reaction would've been barely unnoticeable to anyone else, but Jacen saw her eyes widen appreciatively. "Jacen, I do not think that would be wise..."
Jacen thoroughly ignored her and picked her up.
"Jacen solo, you will release me this instant!" it was the most outrage he'd ever heard her allow in her voice.
He walked down three steps into the pool, and most because he didn't think he could hold onto her any longer, dropped her into the water.
Though the water was fairly shallow, it was deep enough that every inch of her was now soaked.
Her eyes flashed, and Jacen began to wonder about the wisdom of his actions.
"Oh, no, Jacen Solo." She pushed herself to her feet, "do not walk away." She stormed up the steps behind him, quickening her pace to chase him. "You simply cannot pick one up and dump her into a pool and expect to get away with it."
Jacen suddenly changed tactics, turning to face her.
"And why not?" he grinned, catching both of her hands in one of his.
Tenel Ka apparently deciding not to deign to speak simply attempted to jerk away.
Jacen chuckled as she struggled vainly.
Tenel Ka's head shot up, her eyes wide with astonishment. She smacked his chest. "Do not mock me!"
Jacen laughed again, fading away from her repeated blows. He caught her up in his arms and spun around, grinning at her wide eyes.
Then she did something that made him stop spinning just to hear the sound.
She laughed.
Jacen stared at her in pure surprise.
Tenel Ka looked back up at him, her face having reverted to its normal stoic expression, but her eyes sparkling brightly.
The urge to kiss her was so sudden, Jacen nearly dropped her.
As it was, he set her down a fair amount more quickly than he meant to.
Tenel Ka backed away from him, barely masked confusion in her eyes.
"Sieren!"
The little girl looked up quickly, surprised at the harsh tone.
"Let's go. It's time for bed." Jacen took Keil from his mother as his daughter scrambled out of the water and followed him out the door.